LightBurn Tutorial 20 – Virtual Array

The LightBurn Software Series

The Lightburn Software is probably the best generic laser cutting software available (I use it for almost all of my laser work). This series has LightBurn tutorials, hints and tips as well as the occasional speed comparisons between it and RDWorks. In this Session, we learn all about the LightBurn Virtual Array feature. My thanks to the team at Lightburn for allowing me to embed their videos.

Contents

Virtual Arrays are new to LightBurn 1.0. This video explains the feature, and shows you how to use them.

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This video is the last of the LightBurn Software Series. Why not try out one of our other video series such as:

The Lightblade Learning Lab is a series of videos that Russ did for Thinklaser Limited based on using the Lightblade 4060 Laser Cutting and Engraving Machine. The Lightblade 4060 has a 400 x 600mm bed size and was supplied with a 60W EFR laser tube.

The Tangerine Tiger Series where Russ has purchased a new 500 x 300mm, 50W laser machine from eBay with a view to modifying and upgrading it. In fact, he rips out the glass laser tube and high voltage power supply and replaces them with an RF laser source and PSU from Cloudray. Find out how the expensive RF laser source compares to a glass CO2 laser tube and prepare to get your hands dirty!

The Fiber Laser Series is all about Russ’s adventures and investigations with a 30 watt fibre laser, loaned to him by Dean at Lotus Laser Systems. If you are looking to engrave metal, without the fuss of using coatings such as Thermark, Cermark or Molybdenum Disulphide spray, then this is the series for you.

The Lightburn Software Series is probably the best generic laser cutting software available (I use it for almost all of my laser work). This series has tutorials, hints and tips as well as the occasional speed comparisons between it and RDWorks. My thanks to the team at Lightburn for allowing me to embed their videos.

The Top 10 Ranked RDWorks Learning Lab Videos

RECOMMENDED: Check out  The Concise RDWorks Learning Lab Series that condenses all of Russ’s work into an easy to follow encyclopaedia of laser knowledge.

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External Resource Links for LightBurn Virtual Array Tutorial

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Lightburn tutorial virtual array
LightBurn Tutorial Virtual Array

Transcript for LightBurn Virtual Array Tutorial

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0:05 you may be familiar with the grid array

0:07 functionality built into lightburn it

0:10 allows you to select any shape or shapes

0:12 and uniformly distribute them in a grid

0:15 along the x and y axis like the grid you

0:18 see here

0:19 the other shapes created with this grid

0:20 however are distinct copies of the

0:23 original and are in no way linked to the

0:25 original shape

0:26 you can scale

0:28 rotate or move the original shape and

0:31 the copies will not change in any way

0:33 but what if you wanted the array to

0:34 always be synced with the originally

0:36 selected shapes

0:37 that’s where the new virtual grid array

0:39 option comes in

0:41 we can select this shape

0:42 go to a range

0:44 grid array and then create the same

0:46 three by three grid that we saw before

0:49 but as you’ll see now the other shapes

0:51 on the grid render differently with a

0:53 dashed pattern this is to denote that

0:55 there are virtual objects synced to the

0:57 originally selected shapes

0:59 if i unchecked the new create virtual

1:02 grid option you will see that it goes

1:04 back to looking like what you’re used to

1:06 but for now we’ll keep that option

1:08 checked

1:09 then click ok

1:11 unlike before i can now scale

1:14 rotate

1:16 and move the original shape and all the

1:18 others in the grid remain synced to it

1:21 and of course even though these shapes

1:23 are virtual they will still output to

1:25 the laser as normal

1:26 as you can see in the preview

1:30 even better i can change this array

1:32 after the fact

1:33 for example we’ll create an ellipse

1:35 object

1:37 select it

1:38 select the square on the array

1:41 right click and choose add to array

1:45 now the shape is included in the array

1:47 as if it had always been there

1:49 as you would expect i can move the shape

1:51 around independently of all the other

1:53 shapes in the array

1:55 and the entire grid remains in sync

1:57 conversely you can select and right

Transcript for LightBurn Tutorial Virtual Array (Cont…)

2:00 click any shape already on an array and

2:02 choose the remove from array option in

2:05 order to exclude it from the grid

2:08 you can also select and right click any

2:10 shape that is in an array and choose the

2:13 edit array option

2:15 this will bring up the original grid

2:16 array dialog and let you change all the

2:18 parameters you had access to when

2:20 creating it in the first place

2:22 for example i can change the spacing

2:24 here

2:26 and even change the number of columns

2:30 there’s also a duplicate array option

2:33 right here

2:34 that will copy the array and all of its

2:36 associated shapes this is provided

2:38 because virtual arrays cannot be

2:40 selected directly only the shapes can be

2:43 otherwise there’d be no way to make a

2:44 copy of the virtual array

2:49 last but not least

2:51 is the flatten array option which will

2:53 convert all of the virtual shapes to

2:55 regular shapes making the array just

2:57 like the old style non-virtual array

3:00 alternatively using flatten array you

3:02 can also go to edit array and uncheck

3:06 create virtual array

3:07 which will also convert it back into a

3:09 normal non-virtual array

3:12 now virtual arrays work with all design

3:13 shapes and objects built into lightburn

3:15 not just those shown in this quick demo

3:17 and will always output to your laser as

3:19 if they were standard non-virtual

3:21 objects we hope this will become a great

3:22 new tool in your workflow thanks for

3:24 watching

What Next?

Did you enjoy this post? Why not check out some of our other posts:

How To Laser Engrave Slate
How To Laser Cut Stencils
What Can A Laser Cutter Cut?
How To Laser Cut And Engrave Acrylic
Concise RDWorks Learning Lab – Video Tutorial Series
How To Laser Cut Foam Inserts For Tool Boxes
How To Laser Cut Paper Without Burning

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Last updated August 26, 2021

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